Web severing apparatus



Jan. 9, 1951 c. M. WILLIAMSON WEB SEVERING APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 /NVN7'OR (o/lb Marl/n Williamson Affarney.

Jan. 9, 1951 c. M. WILLIAMSON WEB SEVERING APPARATUS Filed April 23, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 a .32 f w 6 a 3 o 6 3 =w1w 6 w 5 5X mw a WM Fw ww Jan. 9, 1951 c. M. WILLIAMSON WEB SEVERING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 23, 1945 INVENTOR Ca/in Marf/n WIY/Ibmsm Jan. 9, 1951 c.' M. WILLIAMSON 2,537,499

WEB SEVERING APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1945 e Sheets-Sheet 4 /NVEN7'OR Col/n Mari/n \A filiamson BY z {@4454 Af/bmgy.

1951 c. M. WILLIAMSON 2,537,499

WEB SEVERING APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 l/vvnvrop Col/n Mart/n Williamson A/forngy.

Jan. 9, 1951 C M WILLIAMSON 2,537,499

' WEB SEVERING APPARATUS Filed April 23, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 I /NVENTOR Col/n Mari/h l/Vi/l/amson By 4 {@M A/lorngy.

Patented Jan. 9, 1951 UNITED sures PATENT OFFlCE Application April 23, 1945, Serial No. 589,826 In Great Britain January 24, 1944 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires January 24, 1964 3 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for severing pieces from the end of a continuous web, the severing action being initiated by the arrival at the severing apparatus of an aperture in the web. A particular application of the invention, to which it is not confined however, is to a continuous photographic printing and processing plant.

One object of the invention is a severing apparatus which can be adjusted to sever over a range of web lengths in relation to the initiating aperture. Another object is a severing apparatus in which severing can be effected over a range which includes or is close to the initiating aperture; thus, in the case of a photographic processing plant, each aperture may initiat the severing of the print immediately adjacent the aperture and not the severing of a print one or more pitches away from the aperture, with consequent risk of accumulated error affecting the position at which the web is severed. Yet another object of the invention is an apparatus which will operate reliably notwithstanding lateral deviation of the position of the apertures or of the path of the web within relatively wide limits. Other objects will appear from the description which follows.

Briefly stated, the present invention comprises the combination of web feed measurin means providing for the forwarding of the web. and metering the length fed, spacing or deviation determining means, controlling the length of web travel between detection of an aperture and operation of a guillotine, detecting means which on detecting an aperture in the web causes the spacing determining means to be clutched to the web feed measuring means, manually adjustable regulating means determining the point from which the spacing determinin means starts when clutched to the measuring means, a stop engaged by the spacing means at a determined point in its movement while clutched to the measuring means and thereby caused to set in action a single cycle operating mechanism and to stop the spacing determining means and put out of action the feed measuring means, web-severing means such as a guillotine actuated by the operating mechanism, means unclutching the spacing determining means from the measuring means at the end of the cycle of the operating mechanism, and means automatically returning the spacing determining means .to the starting point when so unclutched.

During the running of a web in the interval between a guillotine operation and the next detectlon of an aperture, in what maybe termed I the rest position of the parts, the'spacing deter.-

mined by the regulating means, the single cycle operating mechanism is at rest at its starting position, and the web.is being fed through the apparatus by the feedmeasuring means. When an aperture arrives at the detectin means, the spacing determining means is clutched to the measuring means and after a predetermined further travel of the web, the feed measuring means is locked, holding the web stationary, and th guillotine severs the web during the cycle of the mechanism, at the end of which the feed measuring means is put into action again and the spacing determining means returns to the starting position, i. e. the parts are again in the rest position.

It is convenient to provide a common drive for both the feed measuring means and the guillotine operating mechanism. The stop means may unclutch the feed measuring means from the common drive, but it is simpler to drive the feed measuring means through a friction clutch of suflicient but limited torque capacity, when the stop means can be a positive stop which need make only a very small movement to set the operating mechanism in action. If such a drive is adopted it is desirable to separate the functions of feeding and measuring the web, by duplicating the feed measuring means, each means being driven through its own friction clutch, that which the web first encounters constituting only a feed device sufliciently powerful to feed the web into the apparatus, leaving the other lightly loaded and therefore better ablefl notwithstanding that it is friction driven, accurately to measure the web while measuring means and space determining means are friction-clutched together.

The feeding means is driven continuously at a uniform rate and normally forwards the web at a constant speed to the measuring means; but the friction clutch through which the feeding means is driven can slip if the supply of web is momentarily hindered through any cause. The feeding means takes all the strain of drawing the web into the severing apparatus, and keeps the web slack between itself and the measuring means. Thus the measuring means has little work to do, and is relieved of casual tensionings of the web which might cause slipping and inaccuracy in measurement of the distance the web travels between the instant when an aperture is detected and the instant when the measuring means is stopped and the web is severed. During severing there will be a slight accumulation of web between the feeding means and measuring means.

To keep the pressure of the detector on the web not be made through the aperture. Instead the aperture controls a light lever, spring-pressed against it, and the other end this lever actuates a contact. To provide ior lateral deviations in the position or the apertures and of the path of the web, the lever is pluralised, the levers being pivoted side by side and separately sprung against the web. Their other ends engage a pivoted bar operating a contact, so that movement of any one lever whose detecting end registers with an aperture in the web, swings the bar and closes the contact. The levers may be of bell crank form, of thin synthetic resin, pressed by wire springs.

Web-severing apparatus constituting an embodiment of the invention adapted for use in conjunction with photographic processing apparatus or other web-treating apparatus, is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings. In these Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus from the gear box end, the gear box cover being removed;

Figure 2 is a cross-section of the gear box, its upperpart generally on the line IIa-IIa of Figure-1', and its lower part generally on the line IIb-IIb of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevation in section generally on the line III-III of Figure 4 Figure 4 is a part plan of the apparatus showing the full length but not the full width, certain parts being broken away to show the construction more fully;

Figure 5 is a part plan in section on the line V-V of Figure 1, this also showing the full length but not the full width of the apparatus;

Figure 6 is a plan, generally on the line VIVI of Figure 3 showing the full width but not the full length of the apparatus;

Figure '7 is an inverted plan, generally on the line VII-VII of Figure 3 of the guillotine;

Figure 8 is a detail of the single cycle operating mechanism;

Figure 9 is a sectional elevation, and

Figure 10 a plan from underneath the aperture detector and the switch actuated by it.

The web-severing apparatus is built within a frame of which the principal members are two side plates I and 2 united by angle bars 3 and tie rods 4 which also constitute spacers. The side plate I is recessed to form a housing or gear box which is closed by a cover plate 5. In the side plates I. 2 are bearings for the spindle 6 of the principal feed measuring means, herein distinguished as the feed roller 1. On one of the tie rods 4 there is pivoted a frame 8 (see Figures 3 and 4) carrying a pressure roller 3 by which the web 80 is held in flrm contact with the feed roller I. As seen in Figures 1 and 3, the web enters on the right hand side near the top, and leaves vertically downward near the left hand side, the feed roller I rotating counterclockwise. The various wheels hereinafter described rotate in the directions of the arrows marked on them in Figure 1.

Adjacent the feed roller I is a platen II supported from the side plates I and 2 with its outer surface substantially tangential to the roller 1. On the inner surface of the platen II are lugs I2, Figure 6, forming bearings for the spindle I3 of the second feed measuring means. herein distinguished as the measuring roller I4. This is made in two parts which project through openings in the platen just beyond its outer surface.

To keep the web firmly pressed against the measuringroller I4 there is provided a co-acting two-part pressure roller I5, turning unon a nonrotating spindle I6 which is slidably carried on guide pins II in a frame l8. The spindle I8 is pressed towards the measuring roller by springs I3, and the-pressure roller is is thereby caused to press the web firmly upon the measuring roller to preventrelative slip. To admit of easier threading of the web the frame I8 is made to swing upward, being pivoted in brackets 2| secured on the back of the stationary shear blade 22 01' the guillotine. A cam lever 23 pivoted upon a pin 24 projecting from the non-rotating spindle l3 between the two parts of the pressure roller, and bearing against the frame I8, provides a means of withdrawing the pressure roller I5 and holding it away from the measuring roller I4 notwithstanding the springs IS.

The moving blade 25 of the guillotine is carriedby arms 26 at its ends pivoted to swing links 21. Springs 28 attached to the arms 26 and anchored to the side plates and 2 respectively, pull the moving blade 25, transverse to its plane, against the fixed blade 22; a lug 29 upon the moving blade projecting beyond its edge rests on the fixed blade even when the moving'blade is fully withdrawn and prevents it being pulled beyond proper shearing position. f

The swing links 21 are secured to a shaft 3| which has bearings in the side plates I and 2 and is operated as hereinafter described. A guard 32 prevents improper access to the guillotine.

The moving parts above described are interconnected and operated through the gearing contained in the gear box in side plate I. The apparatus may be driven by an independent motor: in the embodiment illustrated, assumed to work in conjunction with photographic processing apparatus, the drive is conveyed bychain I3 from the gearing of the latter apparatus to a sprocket 34 turning upon a fixed spindle 33. There is secured to the sprocket 34 a pinion 35, meshing with an intermediate spur wheel 36, which in turn meshes with the feed roller spur wheel 31. This spur wheel 31 is not fast to the shaft 6 of the feed roller I, but drives it frictionally through a clutch made up of the flanged sleeve 38 fast upon the shaft 6, a disc 39 movable along the sleeve 38 and driven thereby, and an adjustable spring 4| compressed between the disc 39 and a collar on the sleeve 38 so as to press both the disc 33 and the flange of the sleeve 33 into contact with the faces of the spur wheel 31; both disc and flange have facings of suitable clutch-lining material.

The feed roller spur wheel 31 meshes with a pinion 42 (Figures 1 and 2) secured to a clutch similar to that just described, comprising the flanged sleeve 43, the disc 44 and the spring 45. By means of this clutch the drive is transmitted to the spur wheel 46 which meshes with the measuring roller pinion 41 (Figures 1 and 6).

The feed roller spur wheel 31 also meshes with a pinion 48 (Figures 1 and 2) secured on the hub of the guillotine driving pinion 49. This pinion 43 turns upon a fixed spindle 50 and is caged between discs 5| secured together by screws 52 and spaced apart by distance pieces 53 surrounding the screws. Upon a pin 54 secured in the discs 5| is pivoted a pawl 55 having a nose springpressed to engage the teeth of the pinion 49 and a tail projecting beyond the periphery of the discs 5| as seen in Figures 1 and 8. The discs 5| are connected by a link 55 with an arm 51 keyed upon the cross-shaft 3|.

Upon the cross-shaft 3|, through which the guillotine is operated, is freely pivoted a stop lever 58, the upper end of which rests on-the periphery of the discs being pressed upon .them by a spring 59 wound about the shaft 8| and engaging the lever 58 and arm 51. When so resting on the periphery of the discs 5| the upper end of lever 58 is in the path of the tail end of the pawl 55, and both holds the pawl out of engagement with the teeth of the wheel 46 and also forms a stop to arrest rotation of the pawl and of the discs 5| which carry it.

The parts 48 to 59 constitute a single cycle operating mechanism for the guillotine. For if the lever 58 is momentarily lifted from the periphery of the discs 5 I, pawl 55 engages the teeth of wheel 49 and is carried around, together with the discs 5|, until again disengaged by riding beneath the upper end of lever 58. As may be seen from the position of the link 56 in Figure l, the shearing operation takes place not at the beginning of but during the middle part of this rotation.

The disengagement of lever 58 from the pawl 55 is brought about by the spacing determining means. This consists of a forked lever 6| loosely pivoted on the fixed spindle 62 which carries the spur pinion 42, the clutch sleeve 43 and the spur wheel 46. One limb only of this lever 6| extends beyond the spindle 62 and this is held by a spring 63, anchored to the side plate I, against an adjustable stop 64, shown in the form of an eccentric which can be adjusted in angular position about the pivot 65. Between the limbs of the lever 6| adjacent the peripher of the spur wheel 46 is pivoted a pawl 66 on which bears a rocking springpressed plunger 61 which causes the pawl to assume one or other of two extreme positions. In the one extreme position the pawl engages the teeth of the wheel 46; in the other extreme position a crank pin 68 secured to the pawl lies adjacent the lever 58.

The spacing determining means is set in action by causing the pawl 66 to engage the teeth of the constantly rotating spur wheel 46. This function is performed by the armature lever 69 which rocks upon the fixed axle 1| of the spur wheel 36 and carries at one end the armature 12 of an electromagnet 13. Its other end is shaped to the periphery of the spur wheel 46, andis held away from that wheel by the spring 11.

The electromagnet 13 is excited through a circuit including the manually-operated switch 14 and the web-controlled switch 15. As shown enlarged in Figures 9 and the switch is actuated by an aperture detector, co-operating with the web 86. The aperture detector consists of a number of independent levers 16 each having a spring 8| bearing on it and causin its nose to press against the web 80. Adjacent the aperture detector the web 88 is held close to the platen II by the rod 82. A pivoted frame 83 bearing one contact of the switch 15 is engaged by all the levers 16. It is lightly upheld in the position in which it is shown in Figure 9 by a spring 84 of less strength than the springs 8|. If an aperture in the web 80 registers with the nose of any one of the levers 16, the nose enters the aperture, as shown in Figure 3, and the switch 15 is closed. As a result the circuit of the electromagnet 13 is closed as follows: from mains 85 by wire 86 to switch 14, thence by wire 81 to switch 15, thence by wire 88 to electromagnet 13 and by wire 89 back to the mains 85.

The sequence of operations is as follows. Between successive severing operations the gear train is running continually and in general steadily and the web is being fed into the severing apparatus by the feed roller 1, and being forwarded past the guillotine 22, by measuring roller I4.

the peripheral speed of which is precisely that of the web, and its revolutions, therefore, a meas- 5 ure of the length of web fed. Apart from this steady rotation and travel the parts concerned in severing are in the position of rest shown in Figures 1 and 3. When a perforation 90 in the web reaches the levers 16, the switch 15 is closed and the electromagnet 13 excited, attracting its armature 12. This involves rocking the lever 68, the lower end of which bears upon a pin projecting from the pawl 66 and throws the pawl over into engagement with the teeth 01' the wheel 46. The result of this is that the space determining lever 6| is set in rotation, starting from the position determined by the stop 64. Rotation of the lever 6| brings the crank pin 66 into engagement with the lower hooked end oi the lever 58, and rocks this lever about its pivot so that its upper end is lifted out of the path of the tail of pawl 55. Pawl therefore engages the wheel 48 and sets the discs 5| in rotation; while at practically the same instant the pin 68 bottoms in the hook of the lever 58 and rotation of the lever 6|, wheel 46, wheel 41 and measuring roller I4 is arrested, the clutch 43, 44, 45, slipping. The carrying of the upper end of link 56 around in a complete circle rocks the arm 51 and the shaft 3| to and fro, and through the arms 21 reciprocates the moving blade 25 of the guillotine, severing the web. As the discs near the end of a single complete revolution a cam 18 on one of them momentarily engages the upper end of lever 58, rocking it still further clockwise, as seen in Figure 1, with the result that its hooked lower end throws over the pawl 66, disengaging it from the wheel 46, whereupon the space-determining means 6| at once returns to its position of rest in contact with stop 64 under the action of spring 63. The lever 58 is then released by cam 18, and its spring 58 again brings its upper end into contact with the periphery of the discs 5|. On completion of their revolution, therefore, lever 58 bears upon the tail of pawl 55 and disengages the pawl from the wheel 49, and finally arrests its movement.

I claim:

1. Web-severing apparatus comprising a guillotine, web-feeding means for forwarding a web thereto, driving gear for said web-feeding means, a web-measuring roller frictionally driven from said driving gear and frictionally engaged at all times with the web at a point beyond said webfeeding means and before said guillotine, and means for operating said guillotine and for posi- 55 tively arresting said measuring roller during the guillotine operation.

2. Web-severing apparatus comprising webforwarding means and driving gear therefor, a guillotine in the path of the web, a single-cycle operating mechanism for said guillotine, an aperture detector co-operating with the web, a

spacing-determining means, an adjustable stop,

spring means pressing said spacing-determining means toward said stop, means set in action by the aperture detector on registering with an aperture in the web for clutching said spacingdeterminin means with said driving gear, and means actuated by said spacing-determining means at a fixed point in its travel for clutching the single-cycle operating mechanism to the driving gear.

3. Web-severing apparatus comprising webforwarding means, driving gear therefor, a webmeasuring roller and means for holding the web in frictional contact therewith, a gear train including a friction clutch transmitting a drive to said web-measuring roller from said driving gear, a spacing-determining means, a guillotine in the path of the web, a single-cycle operating mechanism for said guillotine. an aperture detector 5 adjacent to the guillotine co-operating with the web. means actuated by said aperture detector on the arrival of an aperture for establishing a driving connection between said spacing-determining means and said driving gear through said friction clutch, and means actuated by said spacingdetermining means at a' particular point in its travel operating to set in action said single-cycle operating mechanism and to arrest the frictionally driven spacing-determining means and meas- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile 01' this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Robinson Aug. 18, 1803 Foote Mar. 17, 1914 Potts Aug. '4, 1914 Brockhuysen Jan. 30, 1940 Pitt Jan. 4, 1944 Bascom Feb. 8, 1944 

